Noshima Castle

Architecture, patrimoine et histoire · Préfecture d'Ehime

Noshima Castle occupies a tiny islet about 850 metres in circumference, set amid the fierce currents of the Miyakubo Strait between the islands of Ōshima and Hakatajima in the Seto Inland Sea. It was the stronghold of the Noshima branch of the Murakami, the “pirates” or sea lords who controlled navigation in the region by levying passage tolls and escorting ships. Together with the neighbouring islet of Taizakijima, it formed an island defence system protected as much by the sea and its tidal currents as by its works. Uninhabited since the late 16th century, the site has remarkably preserved its layout: the island's surface was levelled into stepped terraces forming the main, second and third enclosures, completed by low stone walls, a sheltered anchorage on the north shore and the sites of watchtowers. Designated a National Historic Site in 1953 and included among the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles, it is mainly seen from the sightseeing boats leaving Miyakubo port, near the Murakami Kaizoku Museum, landing being possible only on a booked guided tour.